There is a debate going on in the comparisons forum about Aldon Smith and JJ Watt, but recently two of our own debated about who was the most important Texans defender right now, so it made me want to start a thread ranking our starters 1-11....what say you?

Ugh this is EXTREMELY tough for me, because ranking positions in general vs other positions is very tough, PLUS there are some pretty big role players on this team, but here is how I would rank them of importance, with one being the most important player on the defense

First, if any of the top 4 players go down we're doomed, BUT the depth behind the first 3 make them that much more important. At least we have Mercilus behind Barwin. Next is Smith who is underrated nationally but great for our defense. A hard nosed player with no fears. Manning helped shore up the back end and again our depth behind him almost makes me want to make him higher on the list. Reed is solid, but with Mercilus we would be fine. Quin is a very good role player on this team, not special, but a guy every defense needs. Jackson is an average number 2 with signs of improvement. Cody needs to be replaced ASAP and James needs to find a new home. Both could be replaced by their back ups and we would not notice a change.

1. Cushing- He runs our defense and does it all. Run defense, pass rush, coverage. He is our leader and most important player pretty easilly to me.
2. JJ Watt- Beast
3. Joseph- Really a given after these two
4. Manning- One of our few playmakers. Does it in pass and run.
5. Barwin- Great pass rush and improving run defense. Should be better in coverage than he is
6. Smith- Would be ahead of Barwin if it weren't for bonehead personal fouls that seem to happen every game
7. Quin- Brick hands, but sure tackle and normally in position to knock balls down
8. Brooks Reed- Good pass rush but I need to see more in the other areas
9. Cody- Nothing great but nothing bad. Actually stood up well last year in the run game. We saw how we got gashed in preseason when he was out
10. Jackson- surprise he isn't last. Still scares me on anything over 15 yards and overcompensates leaving the underneath wide open. But has kept improving so still a small glimmer of hope
11. Bradie James- Utter trash in absolutely everything._________________
#JDI

1. Jonathan Joseph- One of the top cornerbacks in the league. (Top 10 to be exact), and we know the impact he makes if he was to miss a game.
2. JJ Watt- Mark it down, after this season he will be considered a top 3 3/4 DE.
3. Brian Cushing- Has made the transition to a 3/4 LB look easy.
4. Connor Barwin- Our best pass rusher on the team
5. Antonio Smith- A few seasons ago you could have made the case for him being higher than 5.
6. Daneal Manning- Best safety on the team who plays well against the pass and run.
7. Glover Quin- Has made the transition from CB to safety. Only knack is that he doesnt have good hands, but he does well in run support.
8. Brooks Reed- Nice pass rusher and could have an even bigger role if we let Barwin go.
9. Kareem Jackson-He made an improvement from his rookie year, but still hasn't become the player we expected when we selected him 20th overall in 2010.
10. Shaun Cody- Not a fan of Cody and especially not a fan of him as a nose tackle.
11. Bradie James- Not impressed with him at all ever since we signed him from Dallas._________________

1. JJ Watt - Most important and the best defensive player on our team, not even close IMO. The most recent example? Last week. He won the game for us.
2. Johnathan Joseph - If he's hurt? We're screwed. But then that brings me back to Watt and how he impacts the game. Our pass rush will always be elite as long as Watt is on the field and will buy our secondary without Joseph enough time.
3. Brian Cushing
4. Antonio Smith
5. Daniel Manning
6. Connor Barwin
7. Glover Quin
8. Brooks Reed
9. Shaun Cody
10. Kareem Jackson